Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-22
BRIBERY AND LAW.

T ne litor OF the Gazette.
What is the law IN Texas on bribery and cor
ruption and election frauds, Fl any
( The reason ] ask the question IS because
hear SO much said on the subeC! in the pend
ing election The p:onis assert that the ants
Will buy every vote they caH get and the ants
the came way about the pros, vice vcrsa etc ,
all of which has a tendency TO make people be
Iicye that a man in Texas can ira c on the SAT-
fragc OF mis- fellow citizens with perfect i'm
punity
Again, suppose man has lived in Texas
. since n and during the last two years mas been
absent from Texas and his Alliance year, and
less than year ago returned, got married and
+ has settled down with his better nalf to sink or
swim with fort Worth and TIE GAZtTIE, VIII
he be allowed a vote the 4th Of August, Yours
respectfully. ". 5. PITTILLO.
II the absence from Texas was not &
/ change Of residence cur correspondent is
q legal voter. II, however, his absence
from the state was with intent to remove
| his legal residence therefrom, he must
reside here one year upon returning TO
Texas before being g qualified voter,
THE GAZETTE mas not looked up the law
and the decisions" bearing on the case,
but tie opinion expressed is common
sense and will be sustained by the lay,
we think.
As to buying votes in Texas on the first
Thursday in August, The GAZETTE be-
Leves that much nonsense is being dissem-
mated. Texas is q hard state to buy; it
is Of vast ara with sparse population in
many sections. A '"corruption fund"
would, Of necessity, go through many
hands, each Of which would levy q toll
that would diminish the Doodle percepu-
IDLY. AID TIE GAZETTE does not believe
thai money has been sent into the state
to buy votes for the reason that none but
fools would risk their money to buy votes
under such conditions as exist here, and
fools don't have money to waste in that
manner. The willingness to buy votes is
one thing, and the giving up Of good
money under such conditions is another
thing. The following are the laws re-
q1essed by our correspondent:
Article l45. If any person shall bribe, or offer
to bribc, any elector, for the purpose OF inhu
crCing his vote at any pu IliC election, he shall
be punished By q fine not exceeding 500.
Art. l46. Ifany clector shall accept a b-ibe |
offered as set forth IN the preceding article, he
shall be pun shed In like manner rs is provided !
with respCc. to the person offering the bride.
Art. l41. II any person shGll bride, or offer to
brlbe any manager, Judge. or clerk of public |
election. or any officer attending the same, as a
consideration Of some act, done, or omitted to
lie done, or to be done or omitted contrary to /
his Official duty IN relation to such election, he |
shall be punished by fine not exceeding 5000.
Art. AZ. II any manager Judge, or clerk OF an |
election or officer attending thereon, shall aC- /
cept bride offered 90 set forth in the proceed /
ing Article, he shall be punished in the same /
manner as is provided IN reference to the peg |
sons offering the nriJe.
AT. 49,. If any one shall offer OF give bribe TO
any person whatever, for the purpose Of Undue |
ing him to persuade, or by mems not amount |
Ing 10 bribery to procure persons 70 vote at /
any public election. for or against any partiC l.
lar candidate the person so giving or Offering, |
and the person so accepting shall be punished /
by fine not exceeding $500.
Art $50. II any person shall furnish money to |
another 10 be used for the purpose OF prOmOt-
Ing the success or defeat OF any particular |
can idste, or Of any particular question sub
mlt.ed 90 q vote OF the people, he shall be pun.
ished by q hne not exceeding 500
Art. I5!. If any manager, Judge or clerk of an
e ection shall knowingly make or consent 10
any false entry on the list Of voters or put IN
the ball I box, or permit to be put IN, any
ballot not given by a voter, or take out of such
b ", or permi. to be taken out, any ballot de
posted therein, except in the manner pre-
scribed by law, or change any ballot given by
any e.ec.or, or make any false return to the
number of votes given for or against any par
.icular caudi date, the person so offending shall
be punished 10y fine not less than 500 nor
more than $1,000
AIT, l52, Any manager, or other officer Of elec-
ton, who shall unfold or examine any ballot,
Or who shall examine the endorsement on any
ballot 10y comparing u with the list of voters
when the votes are being Counted. or shall eX-
anime, or permit to be examined by any other
person the ballots subsequent to their being
received In the ballot box, except IN the man
ler prescribed by law, shall he punished by
confinement in the penitentiary for term OF
lot less than one or more than two years,
Art li5 Any presiding officer. Judge or
,lerb, or other officer OF an election. who shall I
iivulge how any person has voted at such an
Election. from an inspection OF the tickets. IN
ess in judicial investigation, shall he fined in
my sum not less than SOD nor more than $500,
Ar. l5i Ii any manager, or Judge of an cleo
ion. shall corruptly refuse to receive the vote
# any qualified elector, who shows by his
wn oath that he IS entitled TO vote, when
lis vote Is objected to. such manager OF Judge
hall be punished by fine not exceeding $50
Art. lj5 Any manager. Judge or clerk OF an
lection, who shall, while dscharging hts
utles as such attempt TO influence the vote o
n elector for or aSa.nst any particular candi-
ate shall be punished by tine not exceeding
2CO
Art. l5t Any manager, Judge or clerk OF an
lection, who shall, while In discharge OF his I
uties as such, by violence or threats of VOL :
nee, attempt to influence the vote OF an elect
II fer or against any particular candidate, shall
= punl. heG 10y line not eS .eedIng $1,000.
Art ISL. Any presiding icer of any cleo ,
ion precinC', who shall fail Immediately after
uch ell elton, to securely box In modeprescrib-
d by law, all ballots cast thereat, and within
I've days thereafter, to deliver the same to the ,
ounty clerk OF his county, shall be fined not
e,s than fifty, nor more than fge hundred {
lollars. and in addition thereto, may be i'm !
,rIsoned in the county jail for period not 1
ak months.
Art. l5s. If any officer authorized by law to
i've certihcatTof election, shall knowingly,
md corruptly, n re any false certificate thereof,
lie shall be puk she'd by fine not exceeding
hree hundred pillars, and, in addition th6eto,